"The European elections scheduled for May 23 are illegitimate in Britain", John Foster told the Communist Party's political committee on Wednesday evening.

He insisted that the "people's vote" in the biggest poll in British history in June 2016 was to leave the European Union and that this should be reinforced by a "People's Boycott" of the EU elections if they go ahead.

"Britain should have left the EU and its institutions by now, almost three years after the result - but this been prevented so far by a majority of MPs and the Tory Cabinet who want to keep us tied to EU single market and customs union rules if they can't sabotage Brexit altogether", the CP international secretary said.

Boycotting the elections to a "sham European Parliament that cannot even initiate its own legislation" would send the clearest message to the political and big business establishment that the referendum result must be honoured, Mr Foster argued.

In particular, he warned against Labour presenting itself as an anti-Brexit party, as some of its leaders and European candidates are intent upon doing.

Reaffirming the Communist Party's demand for an early General Election and the formation of a left-led Labour government, Mr Foster said this prospect would be undermined in many constituencies where a majority of working-class electors had voted to quit the EU.

"Furthermore, most of the Tory-held marginal seats that Labour must win to form a government also voted heavily to leave the EU - and they will not swing over to an anti-Brexit, anti-democratic Labour Party agenda", he reasoned.

Britain's Communists emphasised the need for a future Labour government to be free from EU pro-market, pro-big business rules in order to carry out many of its radical manifesto policies.

They also welcomed the "spirit and commitment" of the Extinction Rebellion movement that has been occupying parts of central London recently.

But the CP political committee pointed out that winning the war against carbon emissions, global warming and climate change is not possible without winning the war against capitalist ownership, market anarchy and political power and for the social ownership and planning of energy, transport and the economy as a whole.